Track and vehicle with means for propelling both track and vehicle

ABSTRACT

A toy track and a self-driven car such as a locomotive, which runs on the track to a front end thereof and, when it has arrived at the front end, the wheels are switched to drive in reverse and rearward motion of the car is checked so that the track which is supported on rollers begins to advance passing under the car in the same direction. When the rear end of the track has arrived at the car, the wheels are again reversed and the car automatically begins to run along the track again, so that the car and the track may go alternately ahead. The track has a pair of bufferstops which actuate switches at the front and rear of the car to reverse rotation of wheels, and the car has a retrogression checking means extending through a slot in the track.

United States Patent [151 3,688,436

Wakimura 1 Sept. 5, 1972 [54] TRACK AND VEHICLE WITH MEANS 2,786,300 3/1957 Fong ..46/202 X FOR PROPELLING BOTH TRACK AND 2, 1,797 11/1960 Bonanno. ...46/212 X VEHICLE 3,146,547 9/1964 Gabriel ..46/212 X 3,427,74 2 69 [72] Inventor: Kazuo Wakimura, Tokyo, Japan 6 I19 Jacobs 46/206 [73] Assignee: Nomura Toys, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan 'f' P Y y Attorney-Michael S. Striker [22] Filed: Aug. 11, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 170,898 [571 ABSTRACT A toy track and a self-driven car such as a locomotive, which runs on the track to a front end thereof and, [30] Foreign Application Pnomy Data when it has arrived at the front end, the wheels are Aug. 11, 1970 Japan ..45/81017 switched to drive in reverse and rearward motion of the car is checked so that the track which is supported [52] U.S. Cl. ..46/243 LV, 46/206, 46/212, 0n r llers begins to advance passing under the car in 46/216, 46/243 M, 461204 the same direction. When the rear end of the track has 51 Int. Cl. ..A63h 33/26 arn'ved at the a the wheels are again reversed and 58 Field of Search ..46/201, 202, 204, 206, 212, e automaucally beams to run along the track 4 21 243 M, 243 LV, 243 P again, SO that the car and the track may go alternately ahead. The track has a pair of bufier-stops which actuate switches at the front and rear of the car to reverse [56] References Cited rotation of wheels, and the car has a retrogression UNITED ATES PATENTS checking means extending through a slot in the track.

2,756,687 7/1956 Fields ..46/201 X 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures g a; M

o 0/ is, V

TRACK AND VEHICLE WITH MEANS FOR PROPELLING BOTH TRACK AND VEHICLE This invention relates to a toy surface car, such as a streetcar and a self-driven locomotive adapted to run on and along a railroad.

I-leretofore, such a toy car has been mounted generally on a circular track, which is not only expensive but also requires an appreciably large area for setting it.

One object of this invention is to provide a toy car combined with a track having a pair of rails, which is endlessly extensible.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy car combined with a track so that the car and the track may go ahead and stop alternately.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a toy car combined with a track of the class described, which motion appears to be interesting and fantastic.

Briefly stated in accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided a toy surface car comprising, in combination, a track and a car having self-driven wheels adapted to run on and along the track'and to be periodically reversed, and a retrogression checking means to control displacement of the car relative to the track in one direction. The track has rollers adapted to run on a base by being driven by the wheels while retrogression of the car is being checked. In operation, when rotation of the wheels running on and along the track is reversed, the track is advanced passing under the car relatively to the base in the same direction with the running of the car by being driven by the wheels by virtue of the fact that retrogression of the car is checked by the retrogression checking means, and when the rotation of the wheels is again reversed, the car runs on and along the track without checked by the retrogression checking means as in the beginning for repeating the above cycle of operation.

In accordance with this invention, the track may be provided with a pair of rails and a pair of front and rear buffer-stops at both ends of the track between which the car runs.

The invention will be better understood and other objects and additional advantages of the invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following description taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy locomotive embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partly sectional side elevational view of FIG. 1, cutting off a part of the track having rails;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a track shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom view thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described; however, this description will be understood to be illustrative of the invention and not as limiting it to the particular construction and mode shown and described. There is a railroad or track 1 of plastics, on which a pair of rails 2 are formed. There is provided a longitudinal slot 3 between the rails 2. The railroad 1 is provided with some rollers 4 so as to support and remove the railroad l on a flat base such as a floor 9.

A locomotive 5 is adapted to run on and along the rails 2 of the railroad 1. The wheel 6 is provided with a knurled peripheral surface of rubber as a skid proof means. A retrogression checking means comprising a checking rod 7 is mounted on a horizontal bar set on the bottom of the locomotive 5 in such a manner that the rod 7 may be freely swung in the longitudinal direction on the bar. The checking rod 7 is provided with a friction portion 8 of rubber material at the free end of the checking rod 7 which is adapted to be extended obliquely rearwardly through the slot 3 to the base 9 when the locomotive 5 is set on the rails 2 as shown in FIG. 2. By virtue of such a structure as above, the locomotive 5 may go ahead on and along the rails 2 trailing the checking rod 7 on the base 9, but retrogression of the locomotive 5 relative to the rails 2 and the base 9 is checked by the action of the checking rod 7.

The locomotive 5 is provided with a reversible motor (not shown) conventionally for driving the wheels 6. The reversible motor is adapted to be reversed by pushing either of two switching rods 10 and 11 extended out of the front and rear ends of the locomotive 5. There are provided two front and rear buffer-stops 12 and 13 at the both ends of the railroad l, which are adapted to be brought into contact with the switching rods 10 and 11 when the locomotive 5 arrives at the ends, and therefore, the switching rod 10 and 11 is pushed by the buffer-stop 12 or 13, respectively, so that the motor is reversed and the wheels 6 are also reversed.

When the locomotive 5 arrives at the front bufferstop 12, the wheel 6 is reversed as above. However, the locomotive 5 cannot retrogress because the retrogression is checked by the checking rod 7 with friction between the friction portion 8 and the base 9. Meantime, the reversed motor drives the wheel 6 in the counter direction, so that the rail 2 is driven by the wheel 6, and therefore the railroad l is advanced relatively to the locomotive 5 and the base 9, rolling the rollers 4 on the base 9. The railroad 1 is, it seems, additionally constructed and extended by being advanced relatively to the base 9.

When the rear buffer-stop 13 formed at the rear end of the railroad l arrives at the stopping locomotive 5, it is brought into contact with the switching rod 11 of the locomotive 5, so that the motor and the wheels 6 are again reversed, and therefore the locomotive 5 goes ahead again as in the beginning on and along the rails 2 displaced on the base 9.

The railroad 1 may be either straight or curved so as to form a part of a circle.

The two switching rods 10 and 11 are so connected with each other in such a manner that, when one of the two rods is pushed into the body of the locomotive 5, the other is extended from the body of the locomotive 5.

As described above, the toy embodied by this inventionis a new and interesting one which is not known hitherto.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A toy comprising, in combination, a car and a track, said car having self-driven wheels adapted to run on and along said track and having a couple of front and rear switching rods to reverse rotation of said wheels at the both ends of said car and a retrogression checking means to check retrogression of said car at the bottom of said car, said retrogression checking means being adapted to be extended obliquely rearwardly through a slot opened longitudinally between two rails of said track to the base supporting the toy, said track having rollers for movement of said track and having a pair of front and rear buffer-stops at the both ends of said track, said buffer-stops adapted to push one of said switching rods into said car and project the other of said switching rods out of said car when any of said buffer-stops comes in contact with the one of said switching rods, whereby, when said car has run on and along said track to the front end of said track without checking by said retrogression checking means, rotation of said wheels is reversed by contact of said front buffer-stop with said front switching rod so as to check retrogression of said car by said retrogression checking means and displace said track ahead, and when the rear end of said track has arrived to said rear switching rod of said stopped car, said rear buffer-stop pushes said rear switching rod into said car and rotation of said wheels is again reversed so as to run said car without checking by said retrogression checking means as in the beginning for repeating the above cycle of operation.

2. A toy surface car as claimed in claim 1, wherein said car is provided with an electric reversible motor which is reversed when one of said couple of switching rods longitudinally extended out of said car is brought into contact with either one of said pair of buffer stops.

3. A toy surface car as claimed in claim 1, wherein said track is formed with a longitudinal slot, through which said checking means is extended from said car to said base.

25. A toy surface car as claimed in claim I, wherein said car is a toy locomotive, said track being a railroad. 

1. A toy comprising, in combination, a car and a track, said car having self-driven wheels adapted to run on and along said track and having a couple of front and rear switching rods to reverse rotation of said wheels at the both ends of said car and a retrogression checking means to check retrogression of said car at the bottom of said car, said retrogression checking means being adapted to be extended obliquely rearwardly through a slot opened longitudinally between two rails of said track to the base supporting the toy, said trAck having rollers for movement of said track and having a pair of front and rear buffer-stops at the both ends of said track, said buffer-stops adapted to push one of said switching rods into said car and project the other of said switching rods out of said car when any of said buffer-stops comes in contact with the one of said switching rods, whereby, when said car has run on and along said track to the front end of said track without checking by said retrogression checking means, rotation of said wheels is reversed by contact of said front buffer-stop with said front switching rod so as to check retrogression of said car by said retrogression checking means and displace said track ahead, and when the rear end of said track has arrived to said rear switching rod of said stopped car, said rear buffer-stop pushes said rear switching rod into said car and rotation of said wheels is again reversed so as to run said car without checking by said retrogression checking means as in the beginning for repeating the above cycle of operation.
 2. A toy surface car as claimed in claim 1, wherein said car is provided with an electric reversible motor which is reversed when one of said couple of switching rods longitudinally extended out of said car is brought into contact with either one of said pair of buffer stops.
 3. A toy surface car as claimed in claim 1, wherein said track is formed with a longitudinal slot, through which said checking means is extended from said car to said base. $. A toy surface car as claimed in claim 1, wherein said car is a toy locomotive, said track being a railroad. 